Improvement in knitting-machines



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M. HITGHUOGK. Knitting-Machine. No 222,40I. Patented Dec. 9, 1879.

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M. HITGHCOGK. Knitting-Machine. No. 222,401. Patented Dec. 9, 1879.

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mQMAM NFETERS, PmTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D c.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. HITOHOOOK. Knitting-Machine. No. 222,401. Patented Dec. 9,1879.

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i 5 sheets sh eet't; M. H'ITGHGOGK. Knitting-Machine.

N0. 222,401. Patented Dec. 9, 1879.

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N.FETERS, PHOIO-IJTNOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D c.

U I-TE n STArEs,

f MARGENA uironooox, OF

HARTFORD, GONNECTIO UT.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINES- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No,222,4.0l, dated December 9, 1879; application May 21, 1879. o 1

To alf'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAROENA Hrronooox,

of Hartford, in the countyof Hartford and. State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting- Machines; and I do hereby declare that .the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip-v tionof the invention, whereby a person skilled in. the art can make and use 'the same, refer-. ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Like'lette-rs in the figures indicate the same parts.

My improvements relate to such machines as are employed for the purpose "of knitting stockings, undergarments, or other similar articles with a continuous thread, and which are generally known as knitting-machines.

My improvements have for their object the giving of the machine a greater range and facility of working by enabling it, to knit up one side and down the other,and then reverse and knit back over the same ground without crossing at the end where the work commenced, by means of automatically-acting cams.

They also have for their object a better 'method of regulating the throw of the needles for the purpose of making a looser or tighter stitch, and the prevention of motion in the 9 needles when not engaged in making the stitch.

They also have for their object a better method of removing the jacks from between. the upper ends of the needles when required during the progress of the .work.

"side View of a knitting-machine embodying my improvements. -Fig. 3 is an end view to the right of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view to the left of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa longitudinal vertical sectionthrough the middle of the machine, showing the parts beyond. Fig. 6 isan inside view of one side of the sliding frame with the lock and parts which operate the wee dles removed so as to show the interiorparts.

arear view of the lock, which is shown as turned over forward from Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detached view of the sliding plate which opcrates the parts of the lock.

A is the fixed body of the machine. This is furnished with clamps A for attaching itto' a table or bench in the customary manner. 13 is the sliding frame, which moves back and forth with a reciprocating motion to operate the needles. This frame moves uponways on the bodyA, and is held in place by the bars 0. D D are the needles, which slide ingrooves in the bodyAin the usual manner. They are moved up and down to hook thejthreadand form the stitch by the. butts running'over the cams in the locks in the usual manner.

E E are the jacks, which lie upon the insideof the sliding frame and have their upper edges between the hooks of the needles, where they assist in forming the stitch. These jacks,in the ordinary construction, are hinged at one end so as to turn down out of the way when required during the progress of the work.

In my improved construction, as shown in the drawings, they slide back upon the inside ofthe I The ends of the bars F project beyondth'e fixed body A in which they have their bearings, as shown on the left of Figs. 1 and 5, and are furnished with a spring-catch, G, for holding them inplace when the jacks areraised. These springs are furnished withanickwhich fits upon the rimmed head of an adjustingscrew, G, by the turning of which cut or in the position of the jacks can be regulated when raised and locked by the spring G. The screw G has a lock-nut, H, to hold it in its place when properly adjusted.

By means of my improved slidingjacks and their adjustments the opening of the throat between the top edges can be regulated to any width desired for different kinds of work, and the jacks can much more readily be removed when required.

J is the lock-plate, which is firmly attached to the sliding frame B upon its under side. To this lock-plate the principal parts which operate the needles are attached.

K is the V-cam, and L and L are the wing-cams, as they are ordinarily called in knitting-machines. They lie upon the under side of the lock-plate and slide upon it. The V-cam moves up and down by means of the slot K in the plate J, in which pins or projections from K move so as to guide the cam. The wing-cams L L are guided in the same manner in a diagonal direction by means of the slots M M and N N in the plate J.

O is a longitudinally-moving plate upon the upper or inner side of the lock-plate J. This plate 0 is connected with the cam K by apin, P, passing through the slot K, which pin also moves in the slot 0 in the plate 0. The plate 0 is confined to a longitudinal movement upon the lock-plate by means of suita ble guides, shown in dotted lines in Fig.8. It will thus be seen that the movement of the plate 0 throws the cam K up and down.

The lower end of the slot 0 is furnished with a locking recess, into which the pin P enters, so that when in this position any pressure upon the cam K cannot move it. This is shown at Q in Fig. 9.

R and R are links connecting the cam K with the cams L and L. At one end they are pivoted to K, and at the other they are furnished with pins, which move in the slots S and S in the cams L and L. These pins extend through the links, and at their other ends move in the slots T T of the disks U and U. These disks have bearings in the frame B, and are connected with the pointers and dials V and V on the outside. They also are furnished with the clamp-screws W and W to securely hold them in place when set.

The disks U and II are set in different positions in Fig. (5, to show the manner in which they affect the operation of the wing-cams L and L. In the position shown by disk U, when the cam K is drawn downward the link R communicates its movement to the cam L as the pin at its end passes diagonally downward through the slot T. This causes the opposite end of the pin to act upon the slot S to draw down the cam L, as is shown in Fig. 7. But when the disk is in the position shown by U, the movement downward of the cam K merely draws the pin at the end of the link It horizontally along the slot, and this end of the link does not draw down on the cam L, so that it remains up in the position shown by L in Fig. 7. I

While the needles are at work knitting they pass up over the top of the V-cam in the channels formed between its sides and the wing-cams, and when drawr down pass out under the lower end of one of the wing-cams, according to the direction in which they are moving. When they pass idle they run below the bottoms of all three cams. The rotary adjustment of the disks U U, therefore, serves the purpose of regulatin g the distance to which the needles are drawn back to close the stitch, and thus the tightness or looseness of the fabric can be governed with the greatest precision.

The separate adjustment of the wing-cams and the operating them by means of the links connecting with the V-cam serves also another very important purpose. In machines of the ordinary construction, when knitting upon one side of the frame with the needles upon the other side idle, the idle needles often come in contact with the lower ends of the wing-cams, and are thereby caused to draw upon the fabric and make the stitches irregular.

By means of my improved construction the cams are thrown away from the butts or lower ends of the needles, and theypass under the cams without being disturbed from their position.

X is the reversing-lever by which the movement of the cams is effected. Its upper arm runs in a slot in the plate 0, and throws it backward and forward by coming in contact with stops upon the fixed frame A as the sliding frame B moves from end to end. This reversing-lever is made with a projecting point near the middle, (shown at X in Figs. 6 and 7,) above and below which are cam-surfaces, whose greatest depression is near the ends of the lever. These surfaces are for the purpose of conducting the point of the reversing stop or bar, so that it shall act upon the lever near its end.

Y and Y are reversing-bars at one end of the frame A, for operating the reversing-lever X. They are pivoted to blocks upon the body A, and are furnished with the springs Z and Z for holding them in position. These springs serve to bring the bars back when turned slightly out of line, but permit the bar to be turned out at right angles when desired. In Fig. 1 these bars are shown as turned out of action, so that they would not come in contact with the reversing-lever X, and in the other figures in the working position.

When, by the movement of the sliding frame B, the reversing-lever comes in contact with the bar Y the projecting middle point, X, is above or below the point of the bar Y, according to the position of the lever X, so that its thrown out, so that they will not act.

, positionis always reversed in whichever position it approaches Y. If the reversing-lever is i j thrown at the opposite end of the machine the bar Y will always act upon the same end of the lever 5 but if it is not changed except by the bar Y it will be acted .upon alternately at the opposite ends. y

Y and Y are stops at the opposite end of the body A to that at which the bars Y are situated. These are of the ordinary construction used in knitting-machines, and are made to :slide out or in upon guides on the body. When moved out, as shown in Fig. 3, they are inoperative; but when pushed in upon their slides thev outer points come in contact with the ends of the plates 0 on each side of the machine, and throw the plate and the reversing lever connected with it.

By means'of the bars and stops Y Y Y Y a great variety of Work can be done on the machine that cannot be done on the ordinary machine where the stops at both ends are like those shown at Y and Y In my improved construction, if it is desired to knit around in a circle in the usual manner,

all of the stops are placed so as to be engaged. The work then goes on in the usual way, as

the reversing-lever and bar take the place of an ordinary stop, merely changing the position of the cams from what they were.

If, however, it is desired to knit up one side,

cross over, go down the other side, and then.

return without crossing, as in forming the heel of a, stocking, the two stops Y and Y are 'All the reversing and movement of the cams are then done by my improved reversing mechanism, and the knitting is done asbefore stated.

By means of throwing out or engagingtlie several bars or stops described numerous other jacks E, and means for connecting said bar and jacks,-Wl1ereby said jacks are held and adjusted, substantially as described. 7

3. The combination of the bar Yand its spring Z with the reversing cam-lever X, provided with a double -'inclined edge, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the cam K, the'link' B, the cam L, and the slotted disk U,operating substantially as described.

5. The combination of the alternately-reversing mechanism X Y Z with the lock of a knit ting-machine, substantially as described.

6. In a knitting-machine, the combination,

with the sliding frame, of plain sliding stops at one end of the body of the machine, with mechanism for alternately reversing the looks at the other end, substantially as described.

MARCENA HIroHoooK.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. ELLIS, OHAs. L. BURDETT. 

